Yugoslavia round-up: Title beckons for Partizan

FK Partizan are just one point away from the title after a defeat for FK Crvena Zvezda today.

One more point
Second-placed Crvena Zvezda started the day knowing that only a win against FK Rudar Plevlje would keep their slender hopes of retaining their Prva Savezna Liga title alive, but a 1-0 defeat for Zoran Filiupovic's side has left Partizan needing just one point from their game against OFK Beograd tomorrow to take the Yugoslavian title with three games to spare.

Lacklustre display
Red Star produced a lacklustre performance in Plevlja, and Aleksandar Minic's 70th-minute strike was enough to claim all three points. Minic scrambled the ball home from close range after Oleg Bulatovic's shot struck a defender. The victory secured Rudar's place in the top flight for another season.

More joy for Sartid
FK Sartid recorded a fine 2-0 away victory over mid-table FK Hadjuk Kula to complete an excellent week which saw them reach the final of the Yugoslavian Cup for the first time in their 75-year history. Dragan Radosavljevic gave the visitors an eleventh-minute lead, scoring after confusion in the penalty area and the points were wrapped up when Nenad Mirosavljevic nipped in between defender and goalkeeper to score in stoppage time.

Apatin falter
FK Zeleznik pushed FK Mladost Apatin closer to relegation with a 2-0 defeat in Belgrade. Sasa Kovacevic put the hosts ahead after three minutes with a deflected shot, and 14 minutes later Mihajlo Vujacic added a second. Apatin created little, and remain rooted to the bottom with just three wins from 31 league matches.

Zvezdara rejoice
Second-bottom FK Radnicki Kragujevac also remain in deep relegation trouble following a 3-1 home defeat against FK Zvezdara. Kragujevac had the advantage of an early goal when Branko Bakovic slotted home after nine minutes but the lead lasted just four minutes, as Vladan Marjanovic headed the visitors level. Ivica Simicic then put Zvezdara in front five minutes after the interval with a simple close-range finish and the game was over when Dejan Zivkovic finished off a swift counterattacking move with three minutes left.